The invention relates generally to electric utility automated distribution apparatus for remotely reading meters, controlling customer loads, and operating distribution equipment; and, more particularly, to a remote terminal including improved capability for display of data processed by the terminal.
Electric utility companies are increasingly turning to automated distribution systems in their continuing efforts to increase reliability and control the cost of supplying electrical energy to their many residential and industrial customers. Such systems are used to remotely read customer's meters from a central location and to remotely control distribution equipment, as well as to effect remote load shedding during periods of peak energy usage. A variety of communications media can be employed in such systems. For example, systems using power line carrier signals to communicate between a central electric utility location and remote terminals are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,874 issued Dec. 19, 1978 to Stephen M. Pai and U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,314 which issued on Aug. 21, 1984 to Weikel, et al. The aforementioned Patents are each assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Initial setup and testing of the remote terminals in these systems is performed by a field configuration terminal also described in the aforementioned patent application, with required display data being provided by a plurality of numeric and alphanumeric multisegment display devices and indicator lights. Although such a field configuration terminal provides generally satisfactory service, the usefulness of display information is limited by the lack of meaningful labels associated with the output of the multi-segment display devices. The amount of data provided and the flexibility to provide additional data for new terminal functions is similarly limited.
Repair of defective remote terminals is seldom attempted in the field, but is generally relegated to a well equipped factory repair shop having access to a multitude of sophisticated test equipment. It is often necessary to employ oscilloscopes, specialized test boxes with indicators, logic analyzers, a central station for generating test commands, and specialized computer controlled test devices such as a Hewlett Packard type 3060 automatic tester. Such testing generally requires considerable disassembly of the unit which may entail compromising the environmental protection originally manufactured into the unit. For example, use of the 3060 test device requires removal of the conformal coating, that is, the sealant material sprayed onto circuit boards to prevent short circuits and corrosion problems which may be produced by dust and humidity.
Although automated distribution systems are increasingly used to transmit data for remote metering and billing to the electric utility central station, the information heretofore supplied by such system to the customer relating to his consumption of electrical energy was minimal. Electromechanical meters utilizing a pulse initiator and a traditional dial-type register, for example, have supplied only a totalized reading of kilowatt hours. However, such dials were often difficult for the customer to read, thus restricting the usability of even this limited data. Electronic multi-function registers employing alphanumeric displays can provide additional quantities of information, but the lack of meaningful labels has sometimes been the source of customer confusion.
Energy monitors for use at customer locations are available as outboard units to provide additional energy consumption data. However, such devices may require rather complex installation procedures and may produce various discrepancies between the data displayed thereon and the data actually used by the electric utility in preparation of the customer's bill if they are not associated with the customer's meter. Available energy monitors also have the previously mentioned disadvantages of providing a limited amount of data in a format which may be subject to misinterpretation.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide apparatus for use with an electric utility automated distribution system having the capability to provide an increased amount of easily interpreted data to facilitate field testing and setup, simplify factory repair and testing, and to enable an electric utility customer to make meaningful decisions regarding his consumption of electrical energy.